INTERACTIVE DESIGN - Examples

I have found some great examples of interactive design. Some of these are:

• Adidas - www.adidas.com.au
  This is a website for the sports wear brand "Adidas." Here the user is very involved in controlling the information they view on the webpage. As we scroll our mouse over different pictures boxes appear and shift around the page. The user feels as though they are in control and are heavily involved in what they view.
• CandyStand - www.candystand.com
  This is a website that has numerous arcade, sports, puzzle and card games. These games are all interactive and are flash games. The users can be in control of a car or shoot a gun with a click of the mouse.
• DDB - www.ddb.com.au
  DDB is a adverting and design studio that is worldwide. They have worked on many ad campaigns such as "clean up australia day" and many more. Their website is an example of Interactive Design. The user can even customize the side menu settings in order to make their navigation of the site as easy as possible.
• Apple iPhone - http://www.apple.com/iphone/
  The apple iPhone is an excellent example of interactive design. The user controls just about everything by touching the screen. not only is the i phone interface an example of interactive design but the applications, games and podcasts you can download are also. The phone also has a GPS system, so one can navigate their way whilst driving, walking or even riding a bike.
  

INTERACTIVE DESIGN - Definition

Interactive design is essentially communication between people. The aim of an interactive design is to facilitate interactions between humans. It is simply about making connections between people. At the centre of the interaction design is the product, its behavior, how it works and the systems that enable a user to interact with the product. The aim of interaction design is to create an interaction between the product and then user of the product, to make the experience of using the product a convenient and pleasurable one. It is a user-centred design and takes into consideration the wishes of real users - there goals, tasks, experience, needs and wants. The interaction designer approaches or creates his design from a user centered perspective. In doing so they balance users needs with business goals and technological capabilities. As ixda.com states "interaction designers provide solutions to complex design challenges, and define new and evolving interactive products and services. The successful promotion of a product depends on good interaction design." Ixda.com goes on to state that "a good interaction design has the following characteristics:

• effectively communicates a system's interactivity and functionality
• defines behaviors that communicate a system's responses to user interactions
• reveals both simple and complex workflows
• informs users about system state changes
• prevents user error."
  

Interactive Design has shaped the way the society operates and functions. Who would have thought that when playing our Playstations, using our mobiles and surfing the web, we are engaging in forms of interactive design.